Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-12-04

hrst time IN her experience OF herSeH com
passion and regret were not the only emo
tons aroused in her by the remembrance
Of the dead Montbsrry. A keen sense Of
the wrong that she had suffered, never yet
felt By that gentle and forgiving nature,
was felt by it now. She found herself
thinking of the by gone days of her hui
initiation almost as harshly as Henry West
wick had thought of them-she who had
rebuked him the last time he had spoken
slightingly Of his brother in her pressncel
A sudden fear and doubt Of herself startled
her physically as well as morally. She
turned from the shadowy abyss Of the dark
water, as if the mystery and the gloom OF
it had been answerable for the emotions
which had taken her by surprise. Abruptly
closing the window, she threw aside her
shawl and lit the candles on the mantel-
piece, impelled by o sudden craving for
light in the solitude of her room.
The cheering brightness round her con-
trasting with the black gloom outside, re-
stored her spirits. She felt herself enjoy
ing the light like a child!
Would it be well (she asked herself) to
get ready for bed? No! The sense of
drowsy fatigue that she bad felt halt an
hour since was going. She returned to
the dull employment of unpacking her
boxes. After a few minutes only the oc-
~cupatiOn became jrksome to her once more.
She sat down by the table and took up a
guide book. Suppose / inform myself, "
she thought, "on the subject of Yenice?'
Her attention wandered from the book
49,. H. hoI knr,al Al. Er1f NON nf Il
The image Of Henry Westwick was the
present image in her memory now. Re
calling the minutest incidents and details
of the evening, she could think of nothing
which presented him under other than a
favorable and interesting aspect. She
smiled to herself softly, her color rose BY
fine graduation as she felt the full luxury
of dwelling on the perfect truth and
modesty of his devotion to her. Was the
depression of spirits from which she had
suffered so persistently on her travels at
tributable, ny any chance, to their long
separation from each Other-imbittered,
perhaps, by her own vain regret when she
remembered her rash reception Of him in
Paris? Suddenly conscious of this bold
question and of the self-abandoment which
it implied, she returned mechanically TO
her hook, startled by the u~nrestrained
liberty Of her own thoughts. What Turk
ing temptations to forbidden tenderness
find their hiding places in a woman's dress
ing gown, when she is alone in her room at
night! With her heart in the tomb of the
dead Montbarry, could Ages ever think
Of another mao and think of love? How
shameful! how unworthy of her! For the
second time she tried to interest herself in
the guide book-and once more she tried
vain. Throwing the book aside she turned
desperately to the one resource that was
left, to her luggage-resOlved TO fatigue
herself without mercy until she was weary
enough and sleepy enough to find safe
refuge in bed.
For some little time she persisted in the
monotonous occupation of transferring her
clothes from the trunk to the wardrobe.
The large clock in the hall, striking mid
night, reminded her that it was getting
late. She sat down for q moment in an
arm chair by the bedside TO rest.
The silence in the house now caught her
attention and heldit-held it disa~greeably.
Was everybody in bed and asleep but her
oCtls OuANiJ AZ va llulc lOE uGI " lOllO"
the general example? With a certain ir-
ritable, nervous haste she rose and again
undressed herself. Il have lost two hours
of rest" she thought, frowning at the re-
lection Of herself in the glass, as she ar
ranged her hair for the night. ~ shall be
good for nothing tomorrow
She lit the night light and e~xtinguished
the caGdles-with one exception, which
she removed to a little table placed on the
side Of the bed opposite to the side occupied
by the arm chair. Having put her travel
ing box of matches and the guide book
near the candle in case she might be sleep
less and might want to read, she blew out
the light and laid her head on the pillow.
The curtains of the bed were Topped back
10 let the air pass freely over her. Lying
on her left side, with her face turned away
from the table, she could see the arm chair
by the dim night light. 1t had u chintz
covering-representing large punches Of
roses scattered over q pale green ground.
She tried 20 weary herself into drowsiness
by counting over and over again the
punches of roses that were visible from her
point Of view. Twice her attention was
distracted from the counting by sounds
outside-by the chock Ginning the half
hour past -; and then again by the fall of
a pair Of boots on the upper floor. thrown
out to be cleaned, and with that barbarous
disregard of the comfort of others which is
observable in humanity when it inhabits on
hotel. In the silence tbs followed these
passing disturbances Agnes vent on count
ing the roses on the arm chair more and
more slowly. Before long she confused
herself in the figures-tried to begin count
ing again-thought she would wait a little
frst-felt her eyelids dropping and her
head sinking lower and lower on the pillow
= sighed faintly-and sunk into sleep.
How long that first sleep lasted she
never knew. She could only remember in
the after time that she woke instantly.
Every faculty and perception in her
passed the boundary line between insen.
sibility and consciousness, 80 to speak, at
q leap. Without knowing why she sat mp
in the bed, listening for she knew not
what. Her head was in a whirl; her heart
heat f~uriously, without any a~ssignable
cause But n etrivial event had happened
during the interval while she had been
asleep. The night light had gone out, and
the room, as a matter of course, was in
total darkness.
She felt for the match box, and paused
after finding it. A vague sense of cOnfus-
ion wa still in her mind. She was in no
hurry 10 light the match. The pause in
he darkness was, strangely enough, agree
abe to her.
In the quieter flow of her thoughts dur
ing this interval she could ask herself the
natural question: What cause had awaken
ed her so suddenly, and had so strangely
shaken her nerves.? Had it been the in
fluence of q dream? She had not dreamed
at all-or, to speak more correctly, she had
no waking remembrance of haviDgdreamed
The mystery vas beyond her fathoming;
the darkness began to Cypress her. She
struck the match on the box and lit her
candle.
As the welcome light diffused over the
room she turned from the table and looked
toward the other side of the bed.
In the moment when she turned the
chill ola sudden terror gripped her round
the heart "a with the rlasn of an icv hand